The present invention relates to an apparatus for transporting articles, such as hand tools and similar items, between desired locations.
When working in fields such as carpentry and other similar trades, it is often necessary to work in a number of different locations on one job site. For example, during a given work day, a carpenter may be required to undertake activities in a number of different rooms in a house he or she is working on. Most tradesmen hand carry their tools in toolboxes and other similar containers from location to location. Many times, the activities undertaken require more tools than can be easily carried from one location to another in one trip.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved device for transporting articles between locations. To achieve this object, the present invention provides an apparatus for transporting articles. The apparatus comprises a base container having an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored; one or more rotatable ground engaging wheels mounted for rotation about an axis to provide rolling support for the apparatus; and a removable container having an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored. The removable container has a carrying handle that is manually graspable to enable carriage of the removable container. The removable container is removably mounted the base container and the removable container is removable for carriage by the carrying handle separately from the base container. A latch assembly secures the removable container above the base container. The latch assembly is releasable to enable removal of the removable container by the carrying handle for carriage separately from the base container. A manually engageable pulling handle has a hand grip portion. The pulling handle and the one or more ground engaging wheels are arranged on one side of the apparatus to enable a user to manually grasp the hand grip portion and pull the pulling handle generally rearwardly so as to tilt the apparatus rearwardly from (a) a substantially upright position wherein the apparatus is supported in a freestanding manner to (b) a tilted rolling movement position wherein the apparatus is rollingly supported by the ground engaging wheels, thereby enabling the user to roll the apparatus to a desired location by pushing or pulling the pulling handle in a desired direction.
The feature of providing a removable container is particularly advantageous because it allows the user to carry the removable container from to a desired location that would be otherwise inaccessible for the entire apparatus, such as a small crawl space. Otherwise, the tools would have to removed from the apparatus and carried by hand. This aspect is particularly useful when the removable container has a handle, such as a toolbox. The removable container, whether it be a set of sliding drawers, a toolbox, a top loading bin, or some other type of container, can be removed and the load to be carried can be disposed on the base container, thus allowing the apparatus to act as a regular load carrying device.
Another aspect of the invention provides an apparatus for transporting articles. The apparatus comprises a base container having an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored; one or more ground engaging wheels mounted for rotation about an axis to enable the apparatus to be rollingly transported; and one or more removable containers removably mounted in a stacked relation directly atop the base container. The one or more removable containers comprising a toolbox having (i) a container portion with an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored, the container portion having a generally upwardly facing opening, (ii) a pivoting lid pivotally mounted to the container portion, the lid being pivotable between an open position permitting access into container portion through the generally upwardly facing opening thereof and a closed position preventing access into container portion through the generally upwardly facing opening thereof, and (iii) a manually graspable carrying handle enabling carriage of the toolbox. The toolbox is removable for carriage by the carrying handle separately from the base container. The apparatus also comprises a manually engageable pulling handle having a hand grip portion. The pulling handle and the one or more ground engaging wheels are arranged on one side of the apparatus to enable a user to manually grasp the hand grip portion and pull the pulling handle generally rearwardly so as to tilt the apparatus rearwardly from (a) a substantially upright position wherein the apparatus is supported in a freestanding manner to (b) a tilted rolling movement position wherein the apparatus is rollingly supported by the ground engaging wheels, thereby enabling the user to roll the apparatus to a desired location by pushing or pulling the pulling handle in a desired direction.
Yet another aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus for transporting articles. The apparatus of this aspect of the invention comprises a base container having an interior space with an upwardly facing opening in which articles to be transported can be stored; one or more ground engaging wheels mounted to the base container for rotation about an axis to enable the apparatus to be rollingly transported; and a toolbox having (i) a container portion with an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored, the container portion having a generally upwardly facing opening, (ii) a pivoting lid pivotally mounted to an upper rearward portion of the container portion, the lid being pivotable between an open position permitting access into container portion through the generally upwardly facing opening thereof and a closed position preventing access into container portion through the generally upwardly facing opening thereof, (iii) latches on a front side of the toolbox, the latches releasably latching the lid in the closed position thereof and (iv) a carrying handle mounted to the lid and manually graspable to enable carriage of the toolbox. The toolbox is removably mounted above the upwardly facing opening of the base container and is removable for carriage by the carrying handle separately from the base container. A latch assembly comprises a pair of latches an opposing lateral sides of the apparatus. The latches of the latch assembly secure the toolbox above the base container and are releasable to enable removal of the toolbox by the carrying handle for carriage separately from the base container. A manually engageable pulling handle has a hand grip portion. The pulling handle is movable between a storage position and a deployed position. The pulling handle extends upwardly from one side of the apparatus when in the deployed position and the one or more ground engaging wheels are arranged on the same the one side of the apparatus to enable a user to manually grasp the hand grip portion and pull the pulling handle in the deployed position thereof generally rearwardly so as to tilt the apparatus rearwardly from (a) a substantially upright position wherein the apparatus is supported in a freestanding manner to (b) a tilted rolling movement position wherein the apparatus is rollingly supported by the ground engaging wheels, thereby enabling the user to roll the apparatus to a desired location by pushing or pulling the pulling handle in a desired direction.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below, the rolling containers assembly comprising (a) a base cabinet including wheels and a pulling handle for locomoting the rolling containers assembly; and (b) at least one additional cabinet being removably connectable on top of the base cabinet.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the handle is extendible.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the at least one additional cabinet is selected from the group consisting of a drawers assembly and a toolcase.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the base cabinet includes a reel.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the at least one additional cabinet is a modular unit.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the at least one additional cabinet snaps onto the base cabinet.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the toolcase includes a case and an openable cover.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the cover is formed with an external groove usable in supporting rectangular and round objects.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the groove is asymmetrical in cross section.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the groove is formed between a first wall and a second wall of the cover deployed in a V shape, the first wall is deployed 63xc2x115 degrees with respect to the cover, the second wall is deployed 27xc2x115 degrees with respect to the cover, whereas the first and second walls are deployed 90 degrees with respect to one another.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the groove is formed with grip ribs on at least a section thereof.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the cover is formed with underlying strengthening ribs.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the underlying strengthening ribs are deployed crosswise with respect to one another and obliquely with respect to an edge of the cover, such that triangle shapes are formed along the edge.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the underlying strengthening ribs are deployed 90 degrees crosswise with respect to one another and 45 degrees with respect to an edge of the cover.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the cover is formed with external protrusions deployed above the underlying strengthening ribs, the external protrusions serve for at least partially disguising sink marks associated with the ribs.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the external protrusions have a diamond shape.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the cover includes a carrying handle.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the carrying handle is foldable.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the toolcase includes at least one latch for securing the cover to the case when closed.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the toolcase includes front sides and back, the sides taper toward the back.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the front is curved.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the toolcase includes a tray deployable within the case.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the tray includes a tray-handle.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments toolcase includes a foldable carrying handle having side arms, the tray includes a tray-handle, the tray-handle nests between the side arms of the carrying handle of the cover.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the drawers assembly includes a casing and at least one translating drawer translatably engaged by the casing.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the at least one drawer translates over rails connected to the casing.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments all of the at least one drawer are securable close via a single securing member.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the handle is extendible, the single securing member is attached to the handle, such that when the handle is retracted the securing member secured all of the at least one drawer closed.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the base cabinet includes a casing to which the handle and the wheels are engaged and a flipping bin.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the flipping bin is rotatable with respect to the casing and has an upper opening.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the casing is formed with an upper rim, the rim is supplemented with holes which serve for attaching strings for effecting carriage of desired items on the top of the base cabinet when the at least one additional cabinet is removed.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the handle is formed with additional holes which further serve for attaching strings for effecting the carriage of the desired items on the top of the base cabinet when the at least one additional cabinet is removed.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the base cabinet includes a reel rotatably attached to the casing.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the reel is removable.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the casing is supplemented with at least two elastic bands designed for engaging desired items along a side thereof.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the flipping bin is rotatably connected to the casing via a hinge located such that the bin opens when reaches beyond a center of gravity point and closes when is before the center of gravity point.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the pulling handle is detachable.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the at least one additional cabinet is selected from the group consisting of a clamshell style case and carousel organizer.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments provided is a rolling containers assembly for storing working tools comprising (a) a base cabinet including wheels for locomoting the rolling containers assembly; and (b) at least one additional cabinet being removably connectable on top of the base cabinet, the at least one additional cabinet including a pulling handle for effecting the locomotion.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the at least one additional cabinet is selected from the group consisting of a clamshell style case and carousel organizer.
The present invention successfully addresses the shortcomings of the presently known configurations by providing a modular rolling containers assembly featuring a retractable/extendible back handle. Additional advantages of the present invention are described hereinunder.